Tuesday, August 28, 2007
DONATE
I have realized that between work and my soccer team and my other blog and training for the actual marathon, I have very little time to blog about it. However, I am running the marathon to raise money for a fantastic organization called Team For Kids. If you would like to donate to the cause, you can click here. My entry number is 102930 and my last name is Armstrong. Even $5 can help me reach my goal of raising $2,500!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
A Day Off
Being as active as I have been lately, I must admit that I have started to feel almost invincible. However, today it has all caught up to me and I am incredibly thankful that it is my day off. My body is tired, but happy. I feel that that this little bit of respite will be just the rejuvenation I need for a good run tomorrow morning.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Days Twenty, Twenty-One, and Twenty-Two
iPod playlist: none, none, and Lily Allen
Running Mileage: 8 miles, 5 miles, and 2.4 miles
Total Mileage: 18.1 miles
Without access to the internet at home I've gotten a bit behind in logging my miles. In brief, Saturday was my first long run with my team, a hilly run through Van Cortlandt Park that was fantastic. Sunday I had soccer practice, and this morning I just did a light run because my beach-soccer league starts tonight. It's nice when running two and a half miles seems like nothing!! It's also nice to see my total miles edging up towards 50. Training is going well right now.
Total training miles run so far: 43.37
Running Mileage: 8 miles, 5 miles, and 2.4 miles
Total Mileage: 18.1 miles
Without access to the internet at home I've gotten a bit behind in logging my miles. In brief, Saturday was my first long run with my team, a hilly run through Van Cortlandt Park that was fantastic. Sunday I had soccer practice, and this morning I just did a light run because my beach-soccer league starts tonight. It's nice when running two and a half miles seems like nothing!! It's also nice to see my total miles edging up towards 50. Training is going well right now.
Total training miles run so far: 43.37
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Day Eighteen
iPod playlist: Mary J. Blige
Running Mileage: 4.1 miles
Total Mileage: 4.7 miles
I thought I ran five miles yesterday, but it turns out I didn't plan my run too well. So I just took some extra time to plan out a nice run for this evening, in which I am supposed to go six miles. I'm actually really looking forward to the run. There's something nice about mapping it all out on Google's pedometer.
Though I knew this before I decided to run the marathon, I am still surprised by how mentally demanding this is. I feel like my body can take it right now, but my mind is what keeps stumbling. I'm not sure how to train my brain.
Total training miles run so far: 27.97
Running Mileage: 4.1 miles
Total Mileage: 4.7 miles
I thought I ran five miles yesterday, but it turns out I didn't plan my run too well. So I just took some extra time to plan out a nice run for this evening, in which I am supposed to go six miles. I'm actually really looking forward to the run. There's something nice about mapping it all out on Google's pedometer.
Though I knew this before I decided to run the marathon, I am still surprised by how mentally demanding this is. I feel like my body can take it right now, but my mind is what keeps stumbling. I'm not sure how to train my brain.
Total training miles run so far: 27.97
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Day Seventeen
iPod playlist: Gwen Stefani
Running Mileage: 3.5 miles
Total Mileage: 4.7 miles
I just moved to a new neighborhood, and today was my first run there. It is a challenge to find good running routes in a new location, but I think that through running I will quickly learn the streets very well. I also found two good hills today, which is twice as many as there were in my old neighborhood.
The new neighborhood is also where the school I teach at is. Towards the middle of my third mile this morning, I was starting to lose steam. Then I caught sight of my assistant principal putting out the trash. He is also an athlete, and the last thing I wanted was for him to see me faltering during my training. So I stepped it up a notch and kept a good pace for my last mile. Knowing half the people in the new neighborhood might really boost my training!
Total training miles run so far: 23.87
Running Mileage: 3.5 miles
Total Mileage: 4.7 miles
I just moved to a new neighborhood, and today was my first run there. It is a challenge to find good running routes in a new location, but I think that through running I will quickly learn the streets very well. I also found two good hills today, which is twice as many as there were in my old neighborhood.
The new neighborhood is also where the school I teach at is. Towards the middle of my third mile this morning, I was starting to lose steam. Then I caught sight of my assistant principal putting out the trash. He is also an athlete, and the last thing I wanted was for him to see me faltering during my training. So I stepped it up a notch and kept a good pace for my last mile. Knowing half the people in the new neighborhood might really boost my training!
Total training miles run so far: 23.87
Monday, July 2, 2007
Yesterday
iPod playlist: none
Running Mileage: 5 miles
Total Mileage: 5 miles
I'm pretty sure that yesterday's soccer practice was more than five miles. And, since we recently lost our soccer field, we were playing in the park, which means we were running for two hours up and down a long slope. It felt great, though.
However, my miles are not adding up fast enough. I finished teaching and moved in the past week, so there really are no more excuses for not running. Today I got an e-mail from the NYC Marathon folks. At the top in big numbers it said: 127 Days. That's how much time is between me and running 26.2 miles. I haven't even run 26.2 miles in the past two weeks. I believe that realization is just the kick in the butt I need!
Total training miles run so far: 20.37
Running Mileage: 5 miles
Total Mileage: 5 miles
I'm pretty sure that yesterday's soccer practice was more than five miles. And, since we recently lost our soccer field, we were playing in the park, which means we were running for two hours up and down a long slope. It felt great, though.
However, my miles are not adding up fast enough. I finished teaching and moved in the past week, so there really are no more excuses for not running. Today I got an e-mail from the NYC Marathon folks. At the top in big numbers it said: 127 Days. That's how much time is between me and running 26.2 miles. I haven't even run 26.2 miles in the past two weeks. I believe that realization is just the kick in the butt I need!
Total training miles run so far: 20.37
Monday, June 25, 2007
Day Nine
iPod playlist: Justin Timberlake
Running Mileage: 3.08 miles
Total Mileage: 4.75 miles
Today is the first day that I felt like I could actually run the entire marathon. Yes, I only ran three miles today, but I also ran my best mile in several years. My first mile today was 7:41. When I saw the stopwatch on my trusty iPod I actually sped up. Around mile two, though, the speed caught up with me. My last mile was fairly slow, but my total time was still faster than any of my runs so far. I'm still beaming. This crazy goal might just be worth it after all.
Total training miles run so far: 15.37
Running Mileage: 3.08 miles
Total Mileage: 4.75 miles
Today is the first day that I felt like I could actually run the entire marathon. Yes, I only ran three miles today, but I also ran my best mile in several years. My first mile today was 7:41. When I saw the stopwatch on my trusty iPod I actually sped up. Around mile two, though, the speed caught up with me. My last mile was fairly slow, but my total time was still faster than any of my runs so far. I'm still beaming. This crazy goal might just be worth it after all.
Total training miles run so far: 15.37
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Day Eight
iPod playlist: none
Running Mileage: 5 miles
Total Mileage: 7 miles
Today I had soccer practice. For over an hour and a half I was running: jogging in place, running drills without the ball, running drills with the ball, sprints, more sprints, running and shooting, scrimmaging 1 v 2, scrimmaging 2 v 2, more running drills...
I read in an article that you run about 5 miles in a soccer game. This was not an actual game, but it was definitely a running practice without time standing on the sidelines. Plus all that random sprinting is good for short interval training. So after a little thought I decided soccer practice counts as 5 miles. Add the walk to and from the field, and it's not a bad day. I feel like I'm getting back on track.
Total training miles run so far: 12.29
Running Mileage: 5 miles
Total Mileage: 7 miles
Today I had soccer practice. For over an hour and a half I was running: jogging in place, running drills without the ball, running drills with the ball, sprints, more sprints, running and shooting, scrimmaging 1 v 2, scrimmaging 2 v 2, more running drills...
I read in an article that you run about 5 miles in a soccer game. This was not an actual game, but it was definitely a running practice without time standing on the sidelines. Plus all that random sprinting is good for short interval training. So after a little thought I decided soccer practice counts as 5 miles. Add the walk to and from the field, and it's not a bad day. I feel like I'm getting back on track.
Total training miles run so far: 12.29
Friday, June 22, 2007
Worry
iPod playlist: the snooze button on my alarm clock
Running Mileage: 0 miles
Total Mileage: 0 miles
This week has been absurdly busy between wrapping up the school year and starting a second job. With little sleep in recent days, is it really any surprise that I couldn't get myself up this morning?
I want to be prepared to run the full race in November. So right now I'm working on a strategy to ensure I get those training miles in. I know we're still six months out, but now is the time to start preparing. I'm promising myself that next week's mileage will look better.
Total training miles run so far: 7.29
Running Mileage: 0 miles
Total Mileage: 0 miles
This week has been absurdly busy between wrapping up the school year and starting a second job. With little sleep in recent days, is it really any surprise that I couldn't get myself up this morning?
I want to be prepared to run the full race in November. So right now I'm working on a strategy to ensure I get those training miles in. I know we're still six months out, but now is the time to start preparing. I'm promising myself that next week's mileage will look better.
Total training miles run so far: 7.29
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Day Three
iPod playlist: Melissa Ferrick
Running mileage: 2.13 miles
Total mileage: 2.19 miles
I got up early to do a short run because I have soccer practice tonight. I ran the route I usually take to get to the subway, which is located about a mile from my house. As I was running I thought about my daily commute, during which (roundtrip) I walk nearly three miles and go up and down eight staircases. I thought, Surely this can count as cross-training.
The area I live in is also pretty flat, so I intentionally ran to two separate hills, one short and steep, the other long and gradual. It made me realize that I need to integrate more hills into my training, or I'm not even going to make it over the Verrazano Bridge at the beginning of the marathon in November.
Total training miles run so far: 7.29
Running mileage: 2.13 miles
Total mileage: 2.19 miles
I got up early to do a short run because I have soccer practice tonight. I ran the route I usually take to get to the subway, which is located about a mile from my house. As I was running I thought about my daily commute, during which (roundtrip) I walk nearly three miles and go up and down eight staircases. I thought, Surely this can count as cross-training.
The area I live in is also pretty flat, so I intentionally ran to two separate hills, one short and steep, the other long and gradual. It made me realize that I need to integrate more hills into my training, or I'm not even going to make it over the Verrazano Bridge at the beginning of the marathon in November.
Total training miles run so far: 7.29
Monday, June 18, 2007
Day Two
iPod playlist: K. Flay, Outkast, Bjork
Running Mileage: 2.96
Total Mileage: 4.75 miles
On today's run I quickly hit the so-called "runner's high." I can only describe it as feeling like my body is functioning like a machine: simple cogs and levers pushing the whole mass forward. And somehow, this leaves my brain functioning on a very basic level, which is a nice break from the 100-mile-an-hour thinking I am typically engaged in.
So on my run today I spent much of the time noticing all the different smells in New York City. There was a good quarter of a mile in which I was positive I had stepped in dog shit, but it turns out that's just what it smells like in that area. One entire block smelled like pot, another smelled metallic, and yet another smelled like honeysuckle. When I reached the East River, the smell of bleach was overpowering. And a little further down a breeze kicked up, bringing me the salty scent of the water.
Upon reaching the Triborough Bridge, I turned around to double back home. All the smells were in the exact same places. If I keep using this route, I'll forget street names and just remember scent names. "Oh, you're looking for 31st Street? It's right between Dogshit Street and Honeysuckle Road. You can't miss it."
Total training miles run so far: 5.16
Running Mileage: 2.96
Total Mileage: 4.75 miles
On today's run I quickly hit the so-called "runner's high." I can only describe it as feeling like my body is functioning like a machine: simple cogs and levers pushing the whole mass forward. And somehow, this leaves my brain functioning on a very basic level, which is a nice break from the 100-mile-an-hour thinking I am typically engaged in.
So on my run today I spent much of the time noticing all the different smells in New York City. There was a good quarter of a mile in which I was positive I had stepped in dog shit, but it turns out that's just what it smells like in that area. One entire block smelled like pot, another smelled metallic, and yet another smelled like honeysuckle. When I reached the East River, the smell of bleach was overpowering. And a little further down a breeze kicked up, bringing me the salty scent of the water.
Upon reaching the Triborough Bridge, I turned around to double back home. All the smells were in the exact same places. If I keep using this route, I'll forget street names and just remember scent names. "Oh, you're looking for 31st Street? It's right between Dogshit Street and Honeysuckle Road. You can't miss it."
Total training miles run so far: 5.16
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Day One
iPod playlist: Talib Kweli mix
Running Mileage: 2.2 miles
Total Mileage: 4.75 miles
After approximately two miles of running, I slowed to a walk on this, my first day of marathon training. I happened to pass a mirror leaning up against a building. The angle of the mirror gave me a full view of myself: face beat-red from running in the heat, hair sticking out crazily, sweat sucking my shirt to my skin. And I thought, this is what I will look like almost daily until November.
I am now a member of the new generation of marathon runners that the New York Times recently wrote about. On November 4th I will run the NYC marathon. I will not be winning the race or breaking any records (since I'll have no personal best to beat), but I will be reaching my goal of simply finishing the race. And today was just the beginning.
Total training miles run so far: 2.2
Running Mileage: 2.2 miles
Total Mileage: 4.75 miles
After approximately two miles of running, I slowed to a walk on this, my first day of marathon training. I happened to pass a mirror leaning up against a building. The angle of the mirror gave me a full view of myself: face beat-red from running in the heat, hair sticking out crazily, sweat sucking my shirt to my skin. And I thought, this is what I will look like almost daily until November.
I am now a member of the new generation of marathon runners that the New York Times recently wrote about. On November 4th I will run the NYC marathon. I will not be winning the race or breaking any records (since I'll have no personal best to beat), but I will be reaching my goal of simply finishing the race. And today was just the beginning.
Total training miles run so far: 2.2
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